Money
The #1 mystery about our journey
Where do you get the money?
Are you rich?
How do you pay for all this?
Coen likes to joke we rob banks, Karin-Marijke may answer we find the trees on which money grows.
The reality, however, is a different story.
How Did we Start?
In 2003, before our departure, we had an enthusiastic albeit somewhat vague plan to drive as far east as the Asian continent would allow us, and that this would take us 2 or 3 years. That journey heralded a new phase in our lives.
To leave that previous life behind – plus to have the money needed to travel – we sold our belongings.
With that money we were able to, low-budget, travel for a couple of years.
And When the Money Ran Low?
By the time we arrived in Southeast Asia, indeed 3 years later, we had learned a couple of things:
- We wanted to continue traveling.
- We needed to make money if we wanted to that.
Over the years plans and ideas have come up, worked out, and failed. It’s a flowing coming and going of things.
Today we have the following streams of income:
Work as a Freelance Duo
Around that time a magazine approached us with the request for stories and photos. That got us started working as a freelance duo and it’s what we have been done ever since, with Karin-Marijke doing most of the writing and Coen most photography.
We mostly contribute to car/4WD, food and travel magazines with a package of text with photos.
We also sell photos, e.g. to be used as a full-sized print, photos to color a book, to complement a calendar, as a header or background for websites, for marketing purposes. etc. Coen’s photos have also been used in expositions and published in books.
Become a Patron
With every story we write we have a choice: To write it for a magazine and get paid, or to upload it to our Landcruising Adventure website for free.
Our goal is for our website to be a more integral part of our journey. We’d like to reach a bigger audience that is interested in insightful stories from far-flung corners around the world.
We don’t want to clutter up the website with ads and sponsored links to earn money; however, the Land Cruiser is thirsty, needs maintenance on a consistent basis and, let’s face it, we need to eat too.
How can we achieve this goal, and how can you be part of it?
By becoming a Patron you give ongoing support for the travel content we share on our website.
For the price of a liter of fuel a month you become our private sponsor. As little as $1/month is helpful, anything more a bonus.
We will use the funds pledged on Patreon to cover costs related to the websites. Think bandwidth/hosting, paid plugins, equipment, as well as hours put into creating great content.
What’s in it for you?
- More inspiring stories and mind-blowing photos on our website, showing more of little-known corners than we have shared thus far.
- You will get access to our patron-only stream with additional content.
Donations
For along time I was against having a donation button. It felt like begging and besides, why should others pay for our way of life? Two realizations made me change my mind:
The cost of maintaining the website
Annual fees and paid plugins (to improve the website on several fronts) add up. But, more importantly, we spent many hours writing stories, updating information, and uploading photos. We can put the same effort in stories we sell to magazines and get paid for our work. When I realized this, I no longer feel troubled when readers like to show their appreciation through a donation.
Support for our Adventure
I used to say that if people want to support us, they can do so by buying something in our shop. This is an interesting comment from someone who doesn’t like to shop herself, but who does like to show appreciation for somebody’s work – e.g. through donating money. I then realized there may be others who don’t necessarily want to buy something, but who would like to support us.
As a result, we have the option to fuel our Landcruising Adventure through a donation.
Our Shop
As a graphic designer Coen likes to get out paper and pencil and draw sketches. The best are developed into nifty designs. They are printed on T-shirts, mugs, notebooks, laptop sleeves, and many other things.
Shop on Amazon
If you buy on Amazon, you can help us by clicking the button below. Your price will be the same while we’ll receive a tiny commission.
Olá, vocês virão ao Brasil? Podemos arrumar algo legal. Aqui temos parques nacionais maravilhosos, muito frequentados por jipeiros e land cruisers(Bandeirantes).
abraços,
Richard Maciel
Oi Richard, passamos muito tempo no Brasil, cerca de 2 anos no total. Nós amamo-lo para uma série de razões, de fato sendo um deles os parques nacionais. Nós nos encontramos com um par de 4×4 clubes / Toyoteiros. Mas quem sabe, um dia estaremos de volta.
Hello there!!
Absolutely love your website.
when are you guys planning to visit Pakistan ??? me, my wife and our 15 year old daughter would love to be your hosts in Islamabad
I am a proud BJ40 owner as well.
Fareed
Hi Fareed, good to hear from you and kindred spirits… Who knows we may return to Pakistan one day, we were there for 6 months in 2004 and have fond memories.
To know what we’re up to, sign up for our newsletter – we send on every 2 months or so. It’s a practical way to stay in touch, if you like!
https://landcruisingadventure.com/newsletter/
Until one day, inshallah!